Eat A Peach For Peace

Last night my wife, my son, and I traveled to Cody's Books on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley to hear David Mas Masumoto read from his latest book, Letters To the Valley. Masumoto, a farmer in Fresno County, writes about his experiences on his farm, the importance of finding stories in one's life to share, and his philosophy of a connectedness that he has with the earth. His prose is reflective, colloquial and identifiable, and ultimately, beautiful. He read from his latest offering with his daughter, a sophomore at U.C. Berkeley, and then signed people's books. In talking with him afterwards, I shared the importance of another book, Four Seasons In Five Senses, to my family, as I would read the vignettes to Heather and William while he was in her tummy. I also shared stories both of being raised on a farm in Brentwood as well as my experiences of working in Riverdale, a town very similar to Del Ray. Mas signed both my book and a copy of Letters that I purchased. An amazing evening with a wordsmith that values shared stories, shared connections, and the connectedness of generations for those stories to be passed along. His website can be found here. Pay him a visit; you'll be the one who walks away enriched and rewarded by meeting he and his stories.

I'm interested in tomorrow night's debate. This will be John Kerry's last chance to nail Uncurious George. Watching the "gap" shrink, the "bounce" remain, and the American people see just what a dolt the president really is makes me hopeful again. Tomorrow night's topic is domestic issues, an area that Kerry will have to be careful due to his own record as well as the fact that Bush doesn't have to worry about the names of any other countries or their leaders. My bet is that Bush wins, but that the election still runs close.

Okay, finish reading this and head over to Lefty's Corner. Great concert reviews, political insights, and a member of the Liberal Coalition, a blog group that will help you navigate your way through myriad political beliefs and support for your own progressive political leanings. Chris is a wonderful man, a great friend, a great writer, and one who truly looks out for his fellow humans for the betterment of society. Check him out; you owe it to yourself.